First Marx

Yes, that's right, from horror to... comedy! I never clicked with the Three Stooges, but I do enjoy the antics of the brothers. And so I've got twelve to get through, so we start with The Cocoanuts.

Groucho is running a hotel, and is trying to sell off land in Florida. While this is going on, a couple decide to try for some robbery and then end up in a bad marriage situation. Unfortunately, they have the brothers to deal with, so do they have a chance?

There are a few things that stood out while watching this. This is a movie with small sections of plot, usually with Groucho doing his fast paced speech, while there is also various entertainment sections going on. There are many choreographed sequences, and they are quite well done, so this is no small amount of effort to set up and film. We also get stars Oscar Shaw and Mary Eaton signing various songs for us. Oh, and Kay Francis.

We also get action from the brothers, with them largely bringing out their party pieces of talking or various musical notes. Zeppo is definitely sidelined, with only a handful of lines. He does get into the business with the others, but feels just there to full out the scene.

The mix between plot and dance took me by surprise, so let's see if this is a standard or a one-off.

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